Sniffing probes are used for determining the location of gas emanation, for example a gas emanating from the cooling circuit of air conditioning units or cooling systems in vehicles and buildings. For this purpose, the sniffing probe handle-piece comprises a gas inlet opening through which ambient gas is continuously taken in, which gas is then examined with respect to the test gas. If a concentration limit value of the test gas is exceeded, said exceeding is acoustically signaled by a detection device connected to the sniffing probe, for example.
Sniffing probes are frequently used in environments which are difficult to access and poorly lit or not lit at all, for example in the engine compartment of vehicles, in narrow shafts of buildings etc. Here, rapid and exact tracing and identification of the conduits and containers to be inspected and exact localization of a leakage are difficult. Frequently, a flashlight is to be used, which is quite inconvenient.